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Bureau County couple dies in I-80 crash
PERU, Ill. — A Tiskilwa couple has died after a single-vehicle crash in Peru, Illinois on Sunday, Aug. 11. According to the LaSalle County Sheriff's Office, 67-year-old Ronald W. Hansen was driving eastbound on I-80 near mile marker 73 when the vehicle left the road and struck an overpass in Peru.
Registered sex offender accused of kidnapping 9-year-old girl in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A homeless man and registered sex offender faces charges after officers say he was found him with a 9-year-old reported missing. Wade Little, 27, is charged with kidnapping and robbery. Around 3:30 p.m. Aug. 13, a 9-year-old was reported missing to police by a family member....
Rockford police find man charged in deadly hit-and-run
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A Rockford man accused of hitting a woman with his vehicle and then driving off is in custody after a police search. Maurice Calvanese, 59, is charged with aggravated DUI causing death, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, no valid driver’s license, operation of an uninsured motor vehicle and driving on a suspended registration.
Bittersweet News For Rockford; TNT Funnel Cakes Is Closing
Less than two years after opening a storefront in Downtown Rockford, TNT Funnel Cakes is closing for good this week. For many people summer fun is never complete without going to numerous fairs and festivals to enjoy live music, carnival rides and FUNNEL CAKES! (FYI, I happen to be one of those people). Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but just as fair season is wrapping up in the 815 area, our sweet tooth has to endure another bittersweet blow; TNT Funnel Cakes in Downtown Rockford is closing...permanently.
Rockford’s cannabis tax to support growth of local organizations once again
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — City Council approved the Regrow Grant Program for the 2024-2025 year, allowing local organizations to apply for city funding for the second year in a row. The program began last year, providing funds for 10 organizations in the forms of $10,000, $50,000 and $100,000. Of the recipients was Discovery Center Museum, […]
Rockford Rivets eliminated from playoffs; lose to Kalamazoo 8-2
LOVES PARK, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Rockford Rivets playoff run and season came to an end Tuesday evening at Rivets Stadium. They lost game three of their first-round playoff series to the Kalamazoo Growlers 8-2. The Rivets managed only seven hits. Two of them were by Rockford native Daniel Contreras who got the start behind […]
Local representatives prepare for Democratic National Convention
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Democrats will descend on Chicago next week for the Democratic National Convention and analysts expect it to be a giant pep rally. Representative and local DNC delegate Maurice West says there has been a lot of narrative around the fact that presidential candidate Kamala Harris has not talked about policy, but West says we have to get to the convention first. West is the only congressional delegate from the Rockford Region.
New family-owned restaurant Sticky Rice Bites to serve Lao and Asian fusion cuisine in Rockford
ROCKFORD — A new family-owned restaurant centered on Lao cuisine and Asian fusion fare is set to fill the former Pho 27 on the city’s east side. Sticky Rice Bites, 298 N. Mulford Road, plans to open before the end of the month. Rowena Chanthalangsy said she has wanted to open a restaurant offering the authentic taste and culture of her home country since she and her husband, Nit, moved here from Laos 24 years ago.
Rockford-area businesses offer deals, specials for 815 Day 2024
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Rockford Day 2024 is nearly here and several local organizations and businesses are gearing up to celebrate the best things about the 815 region. Rockford Day, or 815 Day, is held annually on August 15 or 8/15 as a way for those in the Rockford area to take pride in where they live.
Quiet, warm Wednesday ahead, but changes follow
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The Stateline was treated to yet another positively gorgeous day Tuesday, with the first above normal temperatures in more than a week being logged in the afternoon. It’s also a seventh straight day without any rainfall in the Stateline, so it goes without saying that we...
Ukrainian teens who lost fathers to war visit Rockford for reprieve, relaxation
ROCKFORD — The Russian invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago has disrupted nearly every aspect of normal life for Mariia Zamyshliak and her peers. “We can’t even study normally right now,” said the 15-year-old high school student who hopes to become a surgeon one day.
Teens from Ukraine enjoy brief respite from war with Rockford visit
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Teens from Rockford’s sister city in Ukraine are visiting the Forest City this week, stopping by the UW Health Sports Factory and enjoying a mini-concert at the Coronado theater. Ten teens from Brovary are on a 9-day trip to Rockford. Brovary became a sister city in 1995 after a visiting soccer […]
Rockford woman hit by truck during alleged vehicle theft
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – A Rockford woman says she’s lucky to be alive after being hit by a truck driven by an alleged car thief. “I honestly thought I was going to die,” said Zoey Albasri. Albasri was at her parents’ 20th Street home on Aug. 11, celebrating family birthdays. Not long into the party, […]
Rockford Rescue Mission hoping to collect 8,150 rolls of toilet paper on ‘815 Day’
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — While many businesses and restaurants will be celebrating Rockford Day (“815 Day”) with specials on Thursday, the Rockford Rescue Mission is hoping people will donate toilet paper. The Rescue Mission, located at 715 W. State Street, says it needs more than 18,000 rolls of toilet paper each year to house and […]
Rockford felon, woman are charged with unlawful use of a weapon during a traffic stop
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police arrested Marcell Noris, 36, and Deandra Richardson, 29, both for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon among other charges. On August 12th, police stopped a gray Kia Sportage for not having a front license plate at the intersection of 13th Avenue and 11th Street. Officials said Norris’s hands were […]
Rockford woman accused of striking a victim until she seized
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police arrested Lashawnda Henry, 34, for allegedly hitting a woman with a landscape light in the head multiple times until she seized. On August 13th, around 1:30 a.m., officers were called to the 1100 block of School Street for a mutual fight, according to multiple witnesses. One witness saw Henry […]
25-year-old man killed in Tuesday afternoon shooting in Rockford’s Midtown
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A 25-year-old man died from a shooting in Rockford’s Midtown District. According to Rockford Police, the shooting happened in the 400 block of S. 5th Street, near Emmanuel Lutheran Church. Authorities have asked the public to avoid the area as the investigation into the shooting is underway. DEVELOPING…
2 arrested on weapons charges after reported standoff in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A reported standoff Sunday afternoon on Rockford’s northwest side leads to the arrest of two people. James Watkins, 31, of Rockford, is charged with aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm and no valid FOID card.
‘Rehoming,’ sale of houseplants at Quad City Botanical Center
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) - The Quad City Botanical Center will have a fall houseplant sale. The Center will have a sale on over 115 houseplants from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 14, a media release said. A variety of houseplants, plants from the Center’s own greenhouse, pots,...
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